halsey



Patented May 23, I899.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS M. HALSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TROLLEY-CONTROLLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,554, dated Ma 23,1899.

Application filed November 24, 1897. Renewed November 1, 1898. SerialNo. 695,177. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LoUIs M. HALSEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residin gin New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inTrolley-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means forautomatically controlling the trolley-pole to prevent its rising to aheight at which the cross-wires and other portions of the overheadstructure will be endangered when by accident or otherwise the trolleywheel becomes displaced and leaves the wire.

The trolley-wheel is mounted in alever pivoted between the arms of theyoke or harp on the free end of the pole and is supported and guidedtherein. The trolley-rope extends from a spring-actuated'reel carried atthe base of the pole through a guide on the harp to a point ofattachment on the rear of the car. In passing through the harp the ropelies in such relation to the lever that so long as the trolley-wheel isdepressed by contact with the wire the rope may travel freely throughthe guide and allow the pole to rise and sink as required in followingthe wire; but as soon as the wheel leaves the wire and rises relativelyto the harp the lever contacts with the rope and holds it firmly,thereby preventing any further rise of the free end of the pole.

The mechanism is simple and effective, avoids complicated and longtrains of connections between the trolley-wheel and winding-reel, andperforms its functions rapidly and with certainty.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification andrepresent what I consider the best means -of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a trolley-poleequipped with my invention. The remaining figures are on a larger scale.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the harp and its immediately-connectedparts. Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan view. Fig. 4. is a verticallongitudinal section.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A is the trolley-pole, mounted in any ordinary or approved manner on theroof J of a car and subject, as usual, to the force of a strong springor springs J, tending to elevate the free end of the pole and hold thetrolleywheel B in strong contact with the under face of the wireM.

A is the U -shaped harp, having a socket A receiving the end of the poleand carrying a transverse shaft A on which is mounted a U shaped leverD, matching closely to the inner faces of the harp, with liberty to tiltor oscil-- late therein, and carrying in its outer ends D the shaft B ofthe trolley-wheel, the overhung ends of which extend through and areguided in the curved slots at provided in the harp to allow thetrolley-wheel to rise and sink in the latter and correspondingly swingthe lever D, while relieving the latter from severe strains. To a crossbrace or arm D between the shafts A and B is attached one end of ahelical spring D the other end being secured in a similar arm A carriedon the harp at a higher level and exerting its force in the direction toraise that end of the lever and the wheel B relatively to the harp. Itis resisted by the stronger force of the roofsprings J, which hold theWheel against the wire and normally depressed in the harp. Thiscondition continues so long as the wheel is engaged but as soon as thewheel leaves the wire the force of the roof-springs is no longereffective and the spring D asserts itself and raises the wheel bytilting the lever.

On the under side of the harp A is a tubular guide A extending a littlebeyond the inner end of the socket A and terminating in a sharply-curvedbend A The trolley-rope is wound automatically upon a reel 0, carried ina frame 0, attached to the trolley-pole at a low point, so that theleverage of its mass will be minimized and actuated by an inclosedvolute spring F, tending to revolve the reel in the direction to take upthe rope. The latter extends from the reel through the tubular guidearound the bend A and is secured to a hook or other fastening means (notshown) on or near the dashboard of the car. In passing the bend the ropelies just beneath the dog D forming part of the lever, and is favorablypresented to its action, so that when the wheel B rises, as abovedescribed, the dog is forced downward by the spring D into Sllfficientlystrong contact with the rope to reliably hold the latter and prevent itsslipping through the guide, thus serving as a clutch to automaticallygrasp the rope and hold the trolley-pole against further rise. The guideA and bend A are preferably slightly grooved, as is also the under faceof the dog D to insure the exact position of the rope and to aid intightly grasping it. While the trolley-wheel is engaged under the wireM, the lever D is depressed and the dog D elevated, and the rope is freeto travel through the guide in either direction, impeded only by thefriction developed in passing the bend A as it is taken up or paid outby the reel 0, according as the pole A lifts or lowers in the travelalong the wire M, due to inequalities in elevation above the track or tothe rising and sinking motions of the car, the effect being to keep therope al= ways taut and ready to be acted upon by the clutch; but if fromany cause the trolley-wheel escapes from the wire and the trolley-poleattempts to rise the spring D immediately lifts the Wheel and appliesthe clutch, holding the pole in the position assumed when the wheel wasdisplaced until the end of the rope is detached from the car and thewheel again depressed by contact with the wire. The action ispractically instantaneous, the period during which the pole may risebeing confined to the fraction of a second elapsing before the doggrasps the rope, audit the parts be properly proportioned as to therelative length of the lever-arms, the distance between the dog andrope, and relative strength of the springs employed the amount of ropeescaping during this period and the corresponding rise of the pole willbe so small that the wheel will clear the cross-wires and other portionsof the wire-carrying structure. The wire M is of course below thecross-wires in all constructions. This condition with the depth of thegroove in the trolley-wheel are also factors in determining the amountof rise for the reason that in order to escape the wheel must descendfar enough to release the flange and a corresponding length of rope willhave been reeled in. Itis believed that the short length thus gainedwill exceed the amount lost before being arrested by the clutch.

I attach importance to the fact that the lever lies within the harp, andas the latter takes the strains and shocks to which this end oft-he poleis liable the lever is protected and need be only sufficiently strong toperform its function in grasping the rope. In case of failure from anycause, rendering the clamping device inoperative, the trolley wheel andpole will serve successfully and may be used in the ordinary manneruntil repairs may be made.

Modifications may be made in the construction and in the forms andproportions here shown without departing from the principle of theinvention. The dog D and bend A may be so shaped relatively to eachother as to jam the rope and hold it with greater force than the simplefrictional contact, as herein described. I prefer the construction asillustrated for the reason that the .force developed will be sufficientand the release is more easily accomplished. The reel 0 may be mountedon the frame carrying the trolleypole, thus relieving the latter of itsweight. It is important, however, that the direction of the pullcoincide as nearly as may be with the line of the pole. dog and theadjacent face of the guide and bend may be ridged or corrugatedtransversely to aid in grasping the rope. I prefer the whole as hereshown.

I claim- 1. The trolley-pole, the slotted harp there= on, aspring-actuated reel carried by said pole, and a rope-guide on saidharp, in combination with a U-shaped lever mounted in the harp, atrolley-wheel and its shaft car ried in one end of said lever, theoverhung ends of said shaft being received and guided in the slots insaid harp, a dog at the opposite end of said lever adapted to engage atrolley-rope passing through said guide, and

a spring tending to tilt the lever and force the dog into engagement,all substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

2. The trolley-pole A, harp A, having the slots at and reel 0, incombination with the The under face of the,

U-shaped lever D mounted in said harp, the

shaft B and trolley-wheel B carried in the arms D of said lever, withthe overhung ends of said shaft received and guided in said slots, thedog D at the opposite end of said lever, the spring D tending to raisethe said wheel relatively to the harp, and the ropeguide A and bend Aadapted to receive the rope from the reel and present it to said dog inposition to be grasped by the latter, all substantially as hereinspecified.

3. The trolley-pole A, roof-springs J, reel 0 and harp A having theslots to, in combination with the U-shaped lever D'mounted in said harp,the shaft B and trolley-wheel B carried in the arms D of said lever withthe overhung ends of said shaft engaged and guided in said slots, thedog D at the opposite end, the spring D tending to raise said wheelrelatively to the harp, and the ropeguide A and bend A adapted toreceive the rope from the reel and present it to said dog in position tobe grasped by the latter when the said wheel rises, all arranged toserve with a car, and trolley-wire, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affixmy-signature in presence of two witnesses.

v LOUIS M. HALSEY.

Witnesses:

ROBT. CONNOR, CHARLES R. SEARLE.

